Dogs Found to Share Human-Like Sound Association with Shapes

Researchers at the University of Parma, Italy, conducted an experiment to test whether dogs associate certain sounds with spiky or round shapes, a phenomenon known as the bouba-kiki effect. The study found that 56% of dogs lingered on round shapes when hearing the word "bouba" and 63% concentrated on spiky shapes when hearing "kiki". This effect was observed even when owners wore headphones, indicating that dogs may not be influenced by their owners' reactions. The study suggests that the mechanisms underlying sound symbolism may not be specific to language, but rather reflect general principles of how the brain integrates information from different senses.